Unique Mothers Day Gift Ideas Always the Second Sunday in May well at least it is in the USA and Unique Mom Traditions!

Mother's Day Cakes

Goddess Rhea and Father Time (Kronos)

The mother goddess Rhea handing Kronos their youngest child that was just born. Zeus! | Source

Mother of Zeus!

Who knew that Mothers’ Day has roots in the industrial revolution? I never realized this until I began this research project. However, mother’s day can be found even further back.

According to Greece mythology, Rhea the wife of Kronos (Father Time) was celebrated as the figure of Mothers and Motherhood. It is said that Kronos would eat their offspring as soon as they were born, and Rhea protected one child name Zeus from the deadly jaws of Kronos by deceiving him. She gave him a stone instead of their son therefore he ate the stone, and Zeus was spared!

Then soon with the advent of the industrial revolution, this prompted Europeans to set aside one day each year for workers to “go home” for some “mothering” and to provide a special cake to their mother, which become known as Mothering Day.

Mothering Day was also when Europeans would be required to attend their “Mother Church”, and I am sure this is where Pot-Luck dinners came from too!

Julia Ward Howe

Source

Julia Ward Howe 1819-1910

Celebrating Mothers of our Country as Woodrow Wilson proclaimed so long ago, one must never forget Julia Ward Howe. Yes, that is correct she is also the author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. And as she proclaimed many years ago, here is her Proclamation that I know every mother’s heart will feel. A mother’s heart lamenting over war, hers was in response to Franco-Prussian War that was between France and Germany 1870-1871.

In 1967 Barbara and her group of 15 friends had sold 200,000 Mother’s Day cards that were delivered to their Congressmen and the card read; “For a Mother’s Day gift this year I don’t want candy or flowers. I want an end to killing. We who have given life must be dedicated to preserving it. Please, talk peace!”

Wow, what a message for us today. With men killing men in our streets, and our fathers, sons, and daughter fighting in foreign lands, wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing to say again with these Mother’s that have gone before us…

We want an end to killing; we who have given life ARE dedicated to preserving it and are standing on the shoulders of our many Other Mother’s willing to Call for Peace before us - Please to Stop the killing of our children!

What is your reason for celebrating Mom?

Relaxing Bonsai Garden

Bring that Enchanted Forest that Mom has always told you about back to her this Mother's Day. The art of bonsai is proven to be relaxing and provides many other health benefits that only trees and plants can provide. | Source

Mother's Day Celebrations and Traditions

Typically, celebrations for Mom are celebrations of springtime, birth and renewal. Whether you espouse to Mother Earth goddess, the mother of us all; Jerusalem, or to the virgin Mary of Christianity or Catholicism, the traditions are similar.

The goddess Rhea is celebrated in the spring, during springtime festivals celebrating “Mother Earth” as she is known by. These festivals were generally 3 days in length.

In Ethiopia for example, their Mother’s Day celebrations comes at the end of the fall rainy season and continues for 3 full days. It is interesting to note that in Ethiopia, the daughters bring the spices, vegetables and herbs, while her sons bring the meat. See I told you earlier that I had a feeling that this was where I thought pot-luck dinner came from!

In France, Mother’s Day is celebrated in late May or early June. And interesting Note: Napoleon actually named Mother’s Day an official holiday, however, it just never caught on until the 1950’s. Gifts are given on this holiday; however the focus is more on reading poetry to their mothers.

In Chinese culture, the drinking of tea is prepared and drank for several different special occasions. These occasions seem to perfectly aline with honoring our mothers on Mother’s Day.

For Special Family gatherings for after the sons and daughters have left home to begin their own families. In Chinese culture, every Sunday Evenings the tea houses are filled with families gathering together to drink tea, before returning to their own homes and daily activities.

In this culture, Tea is the mainstay of celebrations. They view tea as a sign of respect when the children serve the parents or even if an employee serves tea to their employer.

Tea is also for apologizing to others. For example, when a child in China offers their parents a cup of tea, it is also a sign of submission to the parental role, and a sign of regret that they hadn’t respected their position or rules.

And let us not forget Japan. In Japan, they celebrate Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday of May as we do in the United States. However, I wasn’t at all thrilled to hear that the most common meal for Mother’s Day is sushi and egg. But once you get past the sushi and egg meal, Mother’s aren’t allowed to do anything for the entire day. It is a day where the children take care of Mom!

Give Mom the Gift of Respect with a Blooming Tea Set

Please Share in the Comments Section what your Mother's Day Traditions and Plans are

When we share with each other our own cultural differences around one holiday, let it be Mother's Day.